Proceeds from Spaghetti Day fundraiser go to Laval palliative care residence
A “Spaghetti Day” fundraiser held last April at the Embassy Plaza on Curé Labelle Blvd. by the Chevaliers de Colomb’s five Laval-area councils raised $16,574 for the Maison de la Sérénité palliative care home in Saint-Vincent-de-Paul.
Until last April 30 when the event took place, it had been three years since the Laval Chevaliers de Colomb held one of their traditional spaghetti dinner fundraisers.
Day-long fundraiser
Local elected officials from the federal, provincial and municipal governments took turns from 10 am to 7 pm serving up plates of spaghetti topped with sauce, while also waiting on tables. For those who stuck around until the end of the day there were prizes to be raffled off.
As many as a thousand supporters turned up to chow down on pasta by early afternoon, according to Chevaliers de Colomb Ste-Dorothée Council Grand Knight Pierre Côté who was leading the operation.
Most recently, the Laval Chevaliers held annual spaghetti fundraisers at least up to 2018, but were forced to suspend the practice two years later as the Covid pandemic was getting underway.
History of the Chevaliers
Founded in the U.S. during the late 19th century, the Chevaliers de Colomb (Knights of Columbus) continue to be very active around the world as a service organization.
According to online C of C sources, there are more than 16,000 local Knights of Columbus councils around the world, with an estimated 2 million members globally.
Among the causes supported by the Chevaliers/Knights are refugee relief, education, local Catholic churches and dioceses, as well as global social and political causes. As well, the Chevaliers/Knights are dedicated to the principles of charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism.
Support of elected officials
Among those who attended a ceremony recently for the official presentation of the cheque to the Maison de la Sérénité de Laval were Pierre Côté (Grand Knight with the Laval Chevaliers de Colomb), Ray Khalil, member of the Laval executive-committee and councillor for Sainte-Dorothée, Alice Abou Khalil, MNA for Fabre, Buchanan, executive-director of the Maison de la Sérénité de Laval, Virginie Dufour MNA for Mille-Îles, Paolo Galati, city councillor for Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Amel Haroud, political attaché and Jean-Pierre Gadoury (Grand Knight).
